Closing arguments started Monday in the trial of U.S. Border Patrol agent charged in the 2012 fatal shooting of a teenager across the Mexican border.
Lonnie Swartz is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.
Closing arguments about to begin in 2nd degree murder trial of BP Agent Lonnie Swartz for killing Mexican teen through border fence. @kgun9
— Craig Smith (@csmithKGUNTV) April 16, 2018
The trial began March 20 in U.S. District Court in Tucson.
Prosecutors say Swartz fired 16 shots, hitting the teen 10 times including eight times in the back.
Elena Rodriguez was on a street in Nogales in the Mexican state of Sonora, just across the border from Nogales, Arizona.
Swartz says he fired in self-defense in response to people throwing rocks from the Mexico side during a drug-smuggling attempt.
Prosecutors don't dispute the teen was throwing rocks, but contend Swartz responded with an unreasonable amount of force.
